My Weekly Preview

More than 1000 hours of volunteer effort have gone into helping young people make safer choices on the bitumen through the annual RYDA Caloundra road safety education program. Rotary member and RYDA organiser Neville Woodforth says young people are over-represented in road fatalities and injuries. "Local Rotarians are only too happy to volunteer their time. And if we save one young life, all the effort is well worthwhile," he says.

So, it was an interesting week last week when I had a medical episode at work. I won't go into specifics, as you don't want to know about 'old man problems'. But it was pretty scary - to the point I was thinking my time on this Earth had run out. My first port of call was Caloundra Hospital, where I was given VIP service that I couldn't fault, some very reassuring nurses and a very efficient doctor. The next part of the adventure was the ambulance ride to Sunshine Coast University Hospital (SCUH).

What started as a small dream in 1996 has grown into a much-loved Sunshine Coast business, as Cozie Boutique & Swimwear celebrates 30 years in retail. Cozie first opened its doors at Kawana Shoppingworld, but it wasn't long before owner Selina Smith realised that Caloundra was where the business truly belonged. A move to Bulcock Street followed, and three decades later, Cozie has become a familiar and much-loved part of the Caloundra retail scene.

More disgusting than spit strings when people talk, fouler than milk left in the sun and cockier than a rooster: why do people leave their rubbish behind in public places, presuming someone else will take care of it? Public littering defies logic. Most of us wouldn't throw rubbish on our own living room floor and walk away. But when the setting changes to a street, train or public toilet, basic housekeeping is an optional part of the social contract.

Applications for the 2026 Sunshine Coast Business Awards have closed, with 247 businesses putting themselves forward in one of the strongest years on record. Sunshine Coast Business Awards chair Jennifer Swaine says the categories attracting applications are particularly interesting, with shifts that reflect changes underway across the Coast and Noosa business communities.

When Maroochy River Golf Club's women captain Carmel Smith was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in this year's King's Birthday Honours, it marked an extraordinary milestone for the club's Women in Golf (WIG) sub-committee. Carmel became the third person on the nine-member sub-committee to be awarded AM honours over the past two years - an incredible achievement for the popular Sunshine Coast club.

For more than two decades, a group of Sunshine Coast women has been quietly stitching together comfort, one quilt at a time. The Hibiscus Quilters have made more than 4000 handmade quilts since the volunteer group was established in 2002, donating them to local charities. Now, just four remaining members (originals Val and Pat, alongside Lee and Jenny) continue their work. Val has made about 400 quilts herself.

A daily pet blessing, free entry for under-18s, a dedicated kids' zone and meals included with every ticket are among the experiences on offer at Big Love Festival 2026 at Chenrezig Institute, Eudlo. The three-day festival, from September 11-13, brings Tibetan Buddhist culture together with live music, food, art and family activities amid 65ha of Sunshine Coast rainforest.

I had a light-bulb moment last week. Well, it took a while, but the light bulb eventually came on. It all started innocently enough with Old Mate telling me that she had ventured to Spotlight in Maroochydore for the first time since it moved from down our end of town. Now, listening to her, it was like she had driven in peak hour in New Delhi or similar: very stressful going out of her comfort zone of wider Wurtulla.

Roy and Nola Thompson spent 69 years side by side, building a family and businesses and giving back to the Sunshine Coast they loved. In the end, they were separated by just eight days. Nola died on Thursday, July 30, aged 90, after a three-year battle with Stage 4 ovarian cancer. Just eight days later, on Friday, August 7, her beloved husband Roy died, aged 95.